Group

Mode of action

Insecticide class

n

Aquatic organisms

Terrestrial organisms

Cladocerans

Macro-crustaceans

Aquatic insects

Fish

Amphibians

Bees

Earthworms

Birds

Mammals

mg/L

mg/L

mg/bee

mg/kg soil

mg/kg body weight

Neurotoxic

AChE (-) 

Carbamates

28

88.5

385.7

259.1

4.9

17.0

0.71

76

49

98

Organophosphorus

62

11.5

55.3

65.4

2.5

5.3

0.58

131

33

99

GABA-R (+)
                 (-)

Avermectins

3

0.7

77.3

-

270.9

-

0.04

363

673

209

Cyclodiene OC,
fipronil

4

328.7
1995.0

27.8
-

33.9
-

0.04
254.3

2.91
-

2.24
-

93
-

69
39

219
96

nACh-R (+)

               (-)

Neonicotinoids, spinosad

9

30441.0

4137

6.0

60.8

162.8

0.13

54

659

868

Dithiols

4

11466.0

-

-

1.9

0.5

17.5

-

26

409

Na channel  (+)
                       (-)

Pyrethroids, DDT

47

7.6

3.3

1.6

0.02

0.13

0.4

96

2521

826

Indoxacarb

1

600.0

-

-

0.8

-

1.3

1250

98

1000

Octopamine-R (-)

Amitraz

1

35.0

-

24630.0

0.6

8.6

50.0

1000

788

1125

Respiration inhibitors

ATPase (-)

Organo-metallic, propargite

4

64.0

101.0

14800.0

0.2

0.1

1044.2

592

2631

1657

e- transport (-)

Miscellaneous

13

59.4

1943.0

796.3

0.3

0.9

3.9

91

642

923

Other

Fumigants

9

1477.3

144.0

-

1.5

-

25.0

-

95

118

Growth inhibitors

Chitin (-)

Benzoylureas, cyromazine, buprofezin

13

4.0

11.7

940.1

12.5

122.1

49.9

622

2287

3831

Mite growth (-) 

Miscellaneous

5

395.1

-

-

12.8

-

90.3

1000

2675

2638

Hormone mimics (+)

Ecdysone agonists

6

8435.0

16733.0

344.5

8.6

8.4

108.1

1044

2667

3832

Juvenile hormones

5

227.6

-

92.0

1.5

-

9.3

850

3477

5743

Stomach poisons

Membrane disruption

B. thuringiensis (Bt), sulcofuron, cryolite

3

9300.0

-

-

10.7

-

-

-

1779

2823

Others

Detoxification (-)

Synergists

4

17933.0

-

2740.0

9.8

2.1

49.0

330

4329

3272

Lures

Pheromones

36

2872.0

10000.0

-

25.7

-

-

-

3160

4999

*Geometric mean oral LD50s (bees, birds, mammals) or LC50s (aquatic, worms) for all compounds (n) in a class. Dash denotes no data available. Sources: ECOTOX
(http://cfpub.epa.gov/ecotox/), [18, 21, 22]
1Chemicals that are not produced anymore or have been banned from usage are not included here
Table 1: Comparative toxicity* of insecticides to non-target organisms, according to their mode of action: agonists (+) and antagonists (-) to specified receptors.